


Tea and Tricks

by lyddieowl



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Future, Eventual Romance, F/F, Friendship, Romance, Slice of Life, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:35:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24679357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lyddieowl/pseuds/lyddieowl
Summary: Aspiring magician and performing arts student Atsuko Kagari thought working part-time at Luna Nova Coffee couldn't possibly get more interesting. However, a chance meeting with medical student Diana Cavendish soon has her questioning everything.
Relationships: Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari
Comments: 4
Kudos: 47





	1. Prologue - Believing in yourself is your magic.

The crowd's chatter quickly dispersed into silence upon noticing the spotlight hit the stage, albeit for the odd cough and excited children giggling. There was a sudden flurry of music and a plume of blue smoke exploded from the middle of the platform in front of the audience. They gasped as the silhouette of a young woman with brilliant red hair appeared, donning a very witchesque costume.  
She stood still for a minute, allowing time for the smoke to reveal her identity. The crowd let out an almighty cheer, as the woman before them was none other than Shiny Chariot, the world's leading magician. The woman took a bow, and proceeded with her show. It was a mixture of close up magic and wild illusions that had everyone in the room staring in awe.  
Children and adults alike are all fully invested, and Chariot thrived off of their happiness. Whether it was making herself disappear and reappear at another point in the room at impossible speed, whether it was just showing off a simple card trick, the audience gasped and screamed and laughed just as she had expected.  
Through all the lights and the smoke, Chariot relished in the genuine delight of her fans. It made her heart soar, and it made her feel like the show was going exactly the way she wanted it to go. She kept building the suspense and the drama. It was the best show she'd had in a long time. And for that, she was glad.  
The show was just about to reach its climax when Chariot jumped down into the ground effortlessly. She announced that she needed one final assistant for the night, and as the ground raised their hands her eyes settled on a very young girl in the front row. She was stood up in her seat, frantically waving around a replica of the Shining Rod, Chariot's trademark magic wand. The tiny brunette was in full costume.  
The young woman smiled, adjusting her hat dramatically as the spotlight fell on her once more.

"As much as I don't want this show to end, dear audience, I'm afraid we're drawing close to the finale."

Children and adults were still waving their hands in the air, and she waited as they acknowledged their disappointment. She walked over to the girl she'd noticed, smiling softly.

"Now, as I said, I need an assistant for my final trick. And it looks like I've found a mini Chariot."

The girl's eyes grew in awe as the magician reached her hand out.

"Hello, what's your name?" Chariot asked.

"A-Atsuko! Akko!" The little girl bounced with delight as she took the magician's hand.

Chariot led the little girl to the stage. and she knelt down beside her. Atsuko waved to her parents and earned some 'awws', she had clearly won the audience's approval. The magician let the little girl enjoy the moment just a little bit longer, before placing her hand on the child's shoulder.  
The audience hushed again, and it appeared the show was about to go on. The little girl's eyes were still wide in awe, and it was clear she was a huge fan. Chariot grinned, trying to put the child at ease.

"So Akko, are you a magician too?"

The little girl looked down, "I-I want to be. I'm not very good though."

Chariot softened even more, taking the girl's hand once more, "Well, I think you're good! That's why I picked you."

The young woman stood up, making her wand appear from seemingly nowhere and handing it to the little girl. The audience gasped, but cheered shortly after. Chariot told the crowd that she was going to disappear a final time that night, and that Akko was going to help her. The crowd, clearly disappointed that their night had come to an end, cheered an even louder cheer.  
Akko looked up at Chariot. She seemed unsure of what to do. The magician smiled, dropping her voice to a whisper.

"Remember Akko, believing in yourself is your magic."

The little girl seemed to understand, a wide smile appearing on her face, "O-Okay."

"Now, repeat after me, Vera Gurasare."

After taking an almighty breath, the little girl swung Shiny Rod dramatically, "Vera… GURASARE."


	2. Just another day.

Atsuko Kagari rolled out of bed at 10:30am, only to realise that she was almost an hour late to a Performing Arts lecture. Lotte had tried to reassure her that it was okay, that she'd still be able to make it if she hurried. Sucy was less than encouraging, laughing as her guinea pig ran around the room getting ready as fast as she could.  
She ended up running out of their dorm still wearing her monster slippers. She grabbed her bike and pedalled as fast as she could. The building her lectures were held in was the furthest possible from her dorm. Akko managed to, just about, avoid crashing into several students who were walking around the campus casually.  
The brunette slammed through the door to the familiar lecture theatre, only to realise that she was alone. Professor Finnelan sat quietly at her desk, not looking surprised to see the brunette in the flustered mess she usually turned up in. She glanced at the brunette's slippers, before sighing.

"I-I'm so sorry, Professor." Akko said quietly, "I promise this'll be the last time I turn up late.

The older woman held eye contact with the student for a second, "It had better be, Miss Kagari."

"I-I swear, cross my heart and hope to di-"

Finnelan stopped her before she could even finish the sentence, "If this happens again, I'll have to bring it up with your student councillor-"

"S-Sure thing, Prof. I'll go to her myself if I have t-"

"-then I'll arrange a meeting with the university board and we'll discuss whether or not we still think you're suitable for the program."

While the brunette remained silent for once in her life, Finnelan handed her a thick stack of lecture notes, "Study these meticulously and I expect to see some evidence that you've actually read them by next week. Your future hangs in the balance, Miss Kagari."  
  
The younger woman bowed her head slightly, thanking her. Her trek back to her dorm was much slower, pushing her bike along as she kept her gaze on her fluffy monster feet. She didn't mean to be so incompetent, and she didn't want to fail just because she could never seem to get up on time for class.  
Although she loved Performing Arts, and she'd been told that she could be quite good at it when she set her mind to it, acting as a whole wasn't her passion. She felt like she'd only accepted the place on this course because she wanted to at least get a degree in something. That and she couldn't find a magic course that she could study.   
Akko had been beaten down so many times over the years about her love for magic. It was her everything, she was happiest when she was performing tricks or going to see professional magicians live shows.  
Akko sighed as she ignored the glances and giggles of the students that noticed her odd attire. There'd been times when she'd ran across the campus dressed in a bright red panda onesie, so her slippers shouldn't really have been any of their concern.  
She checked her watch, and decided to go grab something to eat before her shift.

~☆○☆~

Lotte and Sucy sat across from Akko as she sadly picked the same fry for a solid few minutes. Sucy wasn't really that interested, and was put out that she'd been dragged away from her 'lab' just to sit in some grotty fast food place. Lotte, however, adjusted her glasses and tried her best to comfort the brunette, who clearly was one of Sucy's sarcastic jabs away from full in sobbing.

"Akko, surely she didn't mea-"

"But she wants to bring it up to the uni board, Lotte! She's wanted to get me kicked out of that class since day one, I swear." Akko grumbled, still playing with the fry.

"Surely not, she just wants the best for you!" Lotte could tell she was fighting a losing battle.

"Finnelan hated me as soon as I stepped into the first lecture. I was just trying to lighten the mood for everyone!"

Sucy piped up, rolling her eyes, "You ended up breaking the projector with one of your 'magical' plastic pigeons."

"It was a DOVE, not a pigeo-"

"It caught fire and the sprinkler system ruined all her lesson plans for the entire week. Heh heh heh."Sucy laughed slightly, clearly enjoying winding Akko up.

The brunette pouted, how did Sucy even know about that. Akko was convinced that she hadn't left their room for the entire academic year so far. Her 'friend' was right though, that was probably one of the many reasons Finnelan wasn't best pleased with her.  
Lotte could see that the tension was building, giving Sucy a little jab in the ribs with her elbow. The taller girl only gave her a little side glance, nothing was going to convince her that she was being unnecessarily mean. It was just how she was, and the smaller girl let out a little sigh.

"Maybe you should talk to Ursula this week, when you get the chance. She might be able to help!" Lotte was using her best optimistic voice.

Akko lifted her gaze to meet her friend's, before looking away again, "Yeah, maybe."

"Maybe she can be your assistant in your next magical escapade." Sucy's contributions still weren't helping.

"I'll get it right one day! Then I'll wipe that stupid grin off your face-"

"Rude."

"-I'll be the greatest magician that walked the earth! I'll find Shiny Chariot if it's the last thing I do, mark my words."

Sucy leant her chin on her hands, still grinning, "It's a wonder you aren't acing P.A. when you're giving performances like this."

Akko hadn't realised she'd stood up on her seat, and the passion ebbed away into annoyance again. Lotte could tell the brunette was about to launch herself at the pink-haired girl sitting next to her, desperately trying to come up with a way to calm the situation down. That's when she saw the time on her phone.  
Akko was in the middle of a speech about how mean Sucy could be sometimes, Sucy still pushing all the right buttons to keep it going. Lotte smacked her hand on the table, instantly retracting it in pain. That got her companions attention.

"Akko, don't you have a shift at the coffee shop?"

"Not for anothe- NO!! Oh my God, I gotta run."

She jumped down from the chair and glared at Sucy one last time, "We'll finish this later. Bye, Lotte!"

The two watched as their friend ran outside, and passed the window on her bike. Lotte pouted at Sucy, who just rolled her eyes.

"Ah, she'll forget all about this when she gets back home later, just you watch."

Lotte adjusted her glasses, frowning, "Good, because I'm not breaking up another fight between you two."

~☆○☆~

"Hope you have a magical day!"

Akko had gotten an earful from her manager as soon as she walked into Luna Nova Coffee (tea and cakes too but that wouldn't have fitted on the sign), it wasn't the first time that she'd been late to a shift. At least she wasn't late by over an hour, and eventually her boss loosened up. She'd gotten changed into her uniform and went straight to work.  
Luna Nova Coffee had been on the street closest to the university for almost as long as the campus had been there. While the trend wasn't really witches anymore, it still strived to give its patrons a truly witchy experience. The staff's uniforms were witch themed, wearing little witch hats and the witchiest possible boots they could find.  
The tables had miniature cauldrons as setpieces, holding the table number and the menus. The shop itself was decorated with cats and owls and any familiar that a witch might have (all accept rats, for obvious reasons). Akko's favourite was the white crow that sat on the counter by the till, Alcor.  
Despite the odd customer being rude and her constantly messing up people's orders, she really did feel comfortable working there. It just felt right, and sometimes she'd attempt some magic tricks to try and entertain the customers.  
Many were unimpressed, but she did get the odd nice comment here and there. She'd gotten in trouble a few times when her tricks went wrong and wasn't really supposed to perform them at all. Which seemed unfair, so she carried on anyway.

"Hope you have a magical day!" Her typical goodbye to customers rang through the cafe as she finished serving another.

"Thanks." The customer dropped a few coins into the tip jar before walking off.

Akko watched the customer walk out, then gazed around the tables. A few were occupied, mostly just small groups talking or studying. One was taken up by a fairly regular customer, who Akko recognised to be Constanze. She never spoke, and nearly always worked on tech projects while she drank coffee black.  
Just another day, Akko thought. It was clear that no other customers were about so she hopped over the counter and went to clear tables. Just normal boring stuff. She didn't really expect many more people to come in on her shift, and she was right. Most of it was spent laughing at memes on Reddit.  
She had about 30 minutes left when she heard the bell going, alerting her to a customer. Akko made sure that she was prepared to give her best customer service smile and greeting, upvoting one last meme before setting her phone down. That's when she looked up.  
Akko couldn't decide what to focus on first, the platinum blonde hair with it's tasteful tea green highlights, or the sharp, blue eyes of the young woman stood in front of her. Just her face in general had thrown Akko off her cool instantly. The undeniably beautiful young woman was reading a book, and didn't even look up at Akko.  
The brunette didn't recognise her, and cleared her throat nervously before speaking.

"W-Welcome to Luna Nova Coffee, the most magical cafe experience the UK has to offer! What can I get ya?"

The blonde had a posh, british accent, still more interested in her book, "Just a tea to go, please. Milk, one sugar."

Akko nodded, "Sure thing!"

The girl wasn't really paying attention, flipping to another page in her book, "Mmhm."

Akko set to work on what was probably one of the most simple drinks the cafe offered. She herself absolutely loved tea, she made her own blends. PG Tips or Tetley didn't really cut it for her, they seemed bland from the moment she'd stepped foot in the UK almost two years ago now.  
She glanced over her shoulder, the girl still wasn't paying any attention to her whatsoever. Discarding the brand tea bags the coffee shop supplied, Akko opened one of the cupboards and pulled out a red jar. The brunette had gotten in trouble so many times for doing this, so many customer complaints. So many customers not even noticing that it was different.  
Yet something made her want to test this specific blend on the blonde, and without any further thought she dropped in the teabag and let it brew. Plum seaweed tea. A weird one, but one Akko drank regularly.  
At the very least, it might make her want to talk to me, Akko thought. Wait, why did she care so much?

"Alrighty, one tea to go, milk and sugar!" The brunette smiled genuinely this time.

The blonde's fingers brushed over Akko's slightly as she took the cup, and Akko felt her face heating up. The young woman only glanced up for a split second, but Akko got a proper glimpse of the intensity of her blue eyes. She saw focus, and her own, flustered reflection.  
The blonde paid, then dropped some change carefully into the tip jar.. Akko's heart dropped slightly, but there was no way she could ask for a name. It wasn't any of her business.  
The book open in one hand and the cup in the other, the young woman went to turn away. Still engrossed in the pages, she stopped for a second.

"Thank you, Atsuko."

If it hadn't been for Akko's name tag she'd have been even more floored than she was already. She couldn't tell if it was the accent or the brief eye contact, but she could feel her heart pounding. She was in awe for the last few minutes of her shift, then the realisation hit her like a tonne of bricks.  
Crap, there goes another one, she thought. Every time she saw someone interesting in the cafe, she'd never see them again. She'd deemed it to be some kind of curse, and it had an excellent track record. Whether it was a curse or just her experimental tea scaring customers off, it sucked either way.  
It was the first time one of these elusive customers had ever said her name, though, and Akko couldn't stop thinking about it. Was this a good sign? Maybe not. Hell, the girl might not have even survived the first sip of her drink.  
Before she knew it, she was on her way home.

~☆○☆~

It was late, and Akko could feel her eyes drooping as she lazily read over the notes Professor Finnelan had given her. She sighed, finding it harder and harder to focus as the minutes went by. She wound up getting frustrated enough to push the notes aside, nearly dropping them everywhere.  
She fumbled in one of the desk's draws, brandishing a familiar 'magic' wand. A smile found it's way onto her face, and she pretended to wield it for a few minutes before setting it down in front of her. She leant on her hand, gazing at Shiny Rod as if it were a person looking back up at her.  
Akko pushed back what sadness she had for her missing idol, and her expression became serious.

"If you're really, TRULY magical, you gotta help me figure out that girl's name."


	3. That's not what I ordered.

Diana Cavendish was pretty well known around the campus and in the UK itself. Her family were a prestigious line of doctors and nurses, also owning shares in the university itself. She herself was studying to be a doctor, and devoted a lot of her time, spare or otherwise, to her studies. It was rare to see her without her head in a book, absorbing as much information as she could.  
The blonde just wanted to make sure she was the best she could possibly be. To some that came across as her being cold and hard to approach, but she didn't really mind that. Diana would never turn someone away if they needed to talk, but staying focussed was a top priority for her. She didn't need any distractions.  
What she did need, though, was caffeine. She stopped walking, looking up from her book. Familiarising herself with where she was, she noticed Luna Nova Coffee wasn't far away. Despite the mixed reviews, she found herself walking towards it.  
She walked in and placed her order without looking up from her book. Just tea, coffee was way too sickly in her opinion. The blonde realised that she must have seemed really rude, and when the barista held out her drink she glanced up, just for a second.  
The brunette facing her was wearing a silly witch-themed uniform, her crimson eyes darting around the room. Diana glanced at the nametag, dropped a few coins in the tip jar and turned to leave She paused before leaving the coffee shop completely.

"Thank you, Atsuko."

She could feel eyes burning into the back of her head, unable to decide whether or not it was a good sensation. In her head, saying the barista's name afterwards was the most polite she could have been. It didn't matter, though.   
It wasn't her usual haunt, she lived in the opposite direction, after all. She wouldn't have to go back and calculate the best way to thank another witch barista. That's when she took a sip of her drink.  
Diana had expected just a standard, English Breakfast tea. Instead, it tasted strange. So strange that she found herself doing a double-take. Was that… surely not. Seaweed? With a hint of something a little sweeter.

"...Plums?" Diana muttered to herself.

Any other person the blonde knew would've gone straight back to complain about the taste of the tea. Any other Cavendish, at least. Instead, Diana found herself taking another tentative sip, perplexed by how nice the flavour actually was. Maybe I will have to pay another visit to that place, she thought.  
She continued on her journey, paying a quick visit to the library before heading back to her flat. It was a rather spacious studio flat about five minutes away from the university, and as she fumbled with the keys she could already hear her friends.

"-overheard Professor Finnelan giving out a 'last' warning to one of the other students today!"

"No way, is it for that girl you've been telling me about?"

Diana paid little attention to the actual contents of their conversation, and went to throw her bag… or rather place it in her room quietly along with the book she'd been reading.  
Hannah England and Barbara Parker, she'd known them both for years. By now, she was used to their mindless gossip, especially when it included other students. They both came from fairly wealthy families as well, and had developed a little bit of a power complex over the 'little people' of the world.  
They were what the blonde considered to be her closest and only real friends. There was a certain Hanbridge as well. He was her friend, yes, but as he was at practically the other end of the country studying politics, they didn't really get to see each other all that often.  
Diana changed into sweats and finished what was left of the tea, before placing the cup into their designated recycling bin. Hannah budged up on the couch as she sat down, both girls greeting her properly.

"Hey, Di, where've you been? Didn't lectures finish hours ago?" Hannah asked.

"I was working with my lab group, then I decided to study on campus for a while." Diana said, leaning back into the couch completely.

"You're really working hard already, aren't you? You should loosen up a bit!" Barbara said, smiling.

"We still haven't gone on that night out yet!" Hannah said excitedly, "That'd be a good way to let your hair down!"

Diana tried not to screw her nose up in disapproval, why would watching her friends flirt with boys make her relax? Instead, she just let out a weak laugh and lay her head back so her eyes were facing the ceiling.

"Maybe you're right. But I have a deadline coming up soon."

Barbara huffed, "Fine, maybe in a few weeks then, Miss Perfect."

Hannah nudged Diana slightly, "Maybe you can pull some nice girl while we're out! So you don't stand in the corner drinking cocktails by yourself again."

Diana stifled a laugh, lifting her head so she could give her a playful scowl. Hannah looked a little intimidated, but what she saw the blonde's face soften again she calmed down. True, she did just stand in the corner the last time they were out, just for a bit. It had been fun though, and she was looking forward to this one.  
She just found the whole notion of hooking up with someone on a night out funny.

"That's not exactly my idea of romance, unfortunately."

Barbara sat cross-legged on the two seater, rolling her eyes, "Well, there's been little proof of your idea of romance at all, Di."

"We just want you to be happy, Diana! Honest!" Hannah said, a massive smile on her face.

Diana found herself laughing again, placing a hand on Hannah's arm (because she was the closest, of course), "Girls, please. I'm happy enough already. Trust me, you'll be the first to know if I ever meet my future wife."

Both girls seemed a little displeased, but overall satisfied with Diana's answer. They set about making (ordering) their dinner, and their night went pretty much the way it always did. All three girls sat discussing any gossip or events that were even mildly interesting throughout the day (although Diana's contributions weren't really all that interesting) and watched the usual TV shows they watched of a night.  
Diana had considered telling them about trying Luna Nova Coffee, but she knew that was just as boring as much of the rest of the day, at least it would seem boring to her two perky companions.

~☆○☆~

It was early the next morning when Diana heard her generic alarm going off. It was 6:30am in fact, and she didn't have a lecture until 10. She stretched, climbing out of bed ready for another day. She set about getting ready for the day, and once she was ready she got some breakfast and sat finishing the book from the day prior.  
It hit 9:00am and neither of her flatmates had surfaced, which didn't surprise her. They were still very much awake when she'd gone to bed, even with her telling them that their sleep patterns, without a better phase, were going to end up fucked if they didn't start sleeping normally. As usual, they just teased her lightheartedly.  
Diana left and got to her lecture building with plenty of time to spare, sitting down in the lecture hall in her usual spot near the window. Before long, the hall was full and the lecture began. The blonde spent her time neatly taking notes, listening intently. Her class was reminded of the essay deadline as well, earning a few groans and worried glances around the room.  
The blonde wasn't overly concerned herself, as she only had a few paragraphs left to write. She observed that many of the students in the lecture hall were discussing going to the library to start their essays, however. She didn't really fancy sitting in a loud room with all the other students. Despite a library's connotations with quiet, Diana knew that wouldn't be the case.  
I need quiet, she thought as she walked out of the hall. The easiest option would clearly be her flat, but she felt like if she went back there she may not leave again for the rest of the day. She felt like a change of scenery.  
That's when she realised where she was walking. The same direction that she had gone the day before. Maybe. Her pace quickened slightly and she saw the café come into view. The smell of coffee and cakes, the prospect of near silence. More weird tea? Possibly.  
Either way, she was happy to see the café entirely empty, apart from one table occupied by Constanze Amalie von Braunschbank-Albrechtsberger, a tech student. To Diana, it seemed like she hadn't moved from the spot. The light noise of her tinkering didn't bother the taller girl, and she chose a table close to one of the windows.  
Diana got comfortable, taking out her hand-written notes and her tiny laptop. Once she was satisfied with her set-up, she began to type. The words flowed along with the gentle rhythm of Constanze's quiet hammering and screwing, and the blonde began to feel at ease. It was a little while before she noticed someone clearing their throat.

"Hello! Do you want to order anything while you're here? Totally cool if not."

Diana recognised the voice, looking up. It was the same barista from the day prior. The brunette had a smile on her face, though the blonde couldn't tell if it was genuine or not. It had the shape of the average, nervous customer service smile, at the very least.   
Diana smiled back.

"Awfully sorry I didn't come straight to the counter. Could I have a tea please?"

The brunette seemed to think, "Milk and sugar, right?"

Despite it only being mere hours, Diana was pleasantly surprised the barista had remembered, "That would be perfect, thank you."

The barista smiled, and went to make her order. Diana went back to typing, glancing over at the girl occasionally. She took note of her pausing, then fumbling in a cupboard for a tea bag instead of just using one from the handily labelled tin right next to her. Perhaps they'd had simply ran out, that would have been a perfectly logical explanation.  
Diana made sure to avert her gaze when the barista had finished making her drink, and typed slowly as she walked over. This time, it came in a Luna Nova branded tea cup, with a little saucer.

"Figured you weren't planning on going anywhere yet. You seem busy." It was a clear attempt at making conversation.

"I have a deadline I must meet, essays don't just write themselves." Diana said, looking up again, "Thank you for the tea."

The blonde hadn't meant to sound so abrupt, and the brunette shuffled nervously before smiling and walking back to sit behind the counter. Diana felt a little mean, but at the same time she really just wanted to get the last remaining chunk finished. It wouldn't take her too long if she could focus.  
That's when she took a sip of her tea. It wasn't the same flavour as the day before. It tasted a lot sweeter, Diana couldn't quite tell whether there were hints of strawberry or some other similar fruit. It was, again, quite pleasant. She ignored the feeling of crimson eyes burning into the side of her head, and finished the cup as if there was nothing amiss.  
It took her a little while to finish her essay, but once she had finished referencing her sources, she was satisfied. Diana packed her notes and laptop in a similar fashion to before, before taking her empty cup to the counter.   
The barista sprung up from her seat, rushing to take the cup from her.

"Man, I am SO sorry. I should've collected this ages ago."

Diana pulled out her purse, "It's quite alright, although-"

The brunette froze, "W-Was there a problem?"

The blonde smiled, "This wasn't what I ordered."

She watched the young woman squirm for a second, before pulling out the exact amount needed for her tea. The relief on her face admittedly amused Diana quite a lot more than she expected. She handed her the money, and placed a tip in the jar.

"It was rather nice, though."

"I… glad you enjoyed it!" Her crimson eyes darted around the room.

Diana turned to leave, and looked over her shoulder, "Thank you, Atsuko."

The blonde walked towards the door, and she heard the girl calling after her. It was just the phrase 'Have a magical day!'. Extremely gimmicky and awfully cheesy, but even with the robotic optimism, Diana thought it suited the girl's voice well  
At the very least, she'd found a good study spot. And she valued that very much.


	4. Magically mediocre.

Akko shoved her uniform back into her locker before picking up her bag. Another boring shift was over, and she couldn't really fathom how it was even more boring than the day before. All she'd done was sit on her phone again. She didn't even get the chance to show off her magic skills to any of the patrons.  
She had planned to have a go at showing Constanze, but she knew that a performance to her would probably just meet silence. It might have been a good silence, sure, but it wouldn't really have been very satisfying. At least she had tonight. Akko had managed to score a gig at one of the local pubs, maybe only after a lot of begging but it still counted in her eyes.  
The café was out of sight now as she was pedalling along lazily on her bike, for once having no real need to rush. She still had hours before her show, and the brunette's mind drifted to the last few days, and upon her new regular customer. The café wasn't exactly any more lively with the new addition, but it was always welcome to see some different faces for once. That, and the mysterious blonde seemed to like Akko's own brand of tea.  
As she struggled to get her bike up the stairs to the room she shared with Lotte and Sucy, she considered that maybe she should use some of her spare time to make a new tea blend. Something sweet, maybe? She likes the swe- Wait, the tea isn't just for her, dumbie. Akko shook her head, frowning.   
She didn't even know the girl's name. She was not going to make a blend of tea just for her.

"Hey, Akko!" Lotte greeted the brunette, watching as she dumped her bike in the little hallway.

"Hi there, what are you doing home so early?" Akko asked, flopping down on the couch next to her.

The shorter girl smiled, pointing to the laptop on her knee, "My professor gave us some free study time for today."

Akko grinned knowingly, "You've been updating your Nightfall fanfic, haven't you?"

Lotte's face went red, the gentle tapping of keys stopping, "N-No! I don't procrastinate like you do!"

The brunette stuck her tongue out at her friend, before stretching and pushing herself up from her spot. This caught Lotte's attention, Akko barely ever moved once she'd hit her spot on the tired old sofa they loved so much. Then she remembered the date, and a smile found its way onto her face.

"I'm gonna go jump in the shower real quick, can't greet my adoring fans smelling of coffee and tea cakes!" Akko did one of her poses, albeit rather clumsily.

Lotte shook her head, "I'm looking forward to it! I think I've managed to convince Sucy to come along as well."

Akko looked like she was about to explode with excitement, ecstatic, "Oh awesome!! I can't wait to show you my new stuff!"

Flashing one last excited grin, Akko rushed off to her room. She practically threw her clothes off, and flew into the bathroom. The brunette found her 'show night' playlist, and soon she was singing along to a mix show tunes and cheesy rock music as she let the water cleanse the 'stress' of working at Luna Nova.  
She found her mind drifting again, thinking about how desperately she wanted to achieve her dream, and how long it seemed to be taking. That in no way affected her drive, or her want to make it happen. It just seemed so frustratingly far away.   
As she let the vanilla scented shampoo run from her hair, she let herself think about her previous shows. It'd been a while since she had even performed properly, she recalled that it was probably midsummer. Akko could feel a few nerves coming to the surface, but quickly pushed them away. She was confident she could put on a good show, she needed to put on a good show.  
She finished up in the bathroom, and walked back to her room.

"I have some time to practice before I need to leave, I should do that." She said, speaking to no one in particular.

Akko changed into a t-shirt and towel dried her hair, laying back on her bed, "Yeah, I'll practice for a bit, then I'll get changed into my costume and then I'll-"

~☆○☆~

A few hours passed by in a blur, and Akko opened her eyes slowly. Rubbing at them, she checked her phone, and launched off of the bed. Holy crap, how had she slept for that long?!  
She ran around the room in a state of panic, grabbing each aspect of her magician's costume, applied her make up and stuffed her props into a bag haphazardly. The brunette only had half an hour to get to her show, which would be a push at best especially because she planned on taking her bike again.  
Akko practically fell out of her room, almost crashing into both of her roommates. Sucy took a millisecond to develop a condescending grin, and the flustered girl prepared herself for a good ripping session. Lotte stepped in between them, placing a hand on Akko's arm.

"We've got a taxi waiting for us." The shorter girl said softly.

"Lotte Yansson, you're my hero."

Sucy shrugged, "Eh, it made sense, we're all going the same way anyway."

Akko ran out of the flat, closely followed by her friends. She was happy that she didn't have to cycle through the streets in full witch attire for once, and whatever nerves she'd had were subsided by her friends being there on her journey. In fact, she even felt excited for once. The only thing that was getting to her was the time she missed out on to practice while she napped.  
Her leg bounced excitedly as she stared out of the window, and as soon as the cab stopped she threw some money at Lotte quickly before running into the pub. The manager greeted her, and showed her to the little stage she'd be performing on. He gave her a few minutes to set up, and she was grateful.  
The brunette set down her bag and adjusted her hat, before scoping out her audience for the night. It was quiet, but there were a few faces she recognised. In fact, there were a lot of faces she recognised. Some from her class, some that she’d seen from around campus. She felt her heart beginning to pound, but when she spotted Lotte and Sucy had found a booth towards the back of the pub she felt herself calming down.  
She could focus on them, she could focus on the back while she performed. She noticed that a microphone had been set up, and after peering into her bag of props before walking over to it slowly, trying to build what little drama she could before her performance. A little spotlight fell on her, and a few members of her audience dragged their eyes away from their peers.

“Um, welcome everyone! Let’s all take a journey to the world of magic together!”

There were a few claps, and snickers at the cheesy dialogue. Akko was used to this response, and continued, “Right, for my first trick, I’ll need a volunteer!”

Akko’s act was met with reluctance the whole time. She mostly displayed her card tricks with the help of Lotte and Sucy, because they were the only people she could trust to help her. She tried to do some choreography as well, but that was met with more blank stares and silence for the most part. Her most ‘famous’ trick, one where she had her volunteer to pick a card and write a word on it, and put it in an envelope. Akko’s job as the magician was to produce another envelope, and the word and number of the card would be written on a piece of paper. It went wrong, and got the biggest reaction she’d gotten all night.  
With her confidence knocked, and her 45 minute set finished, she slumped at the booth with her friends, who’d gotten her a ‘celebratory’ drink.

“Well, that went well!” Lotte said, trying to sound as positive as possible.

“Yeah, it really sucked this time! I’m glad I was here to witness it! Heh heh heh.” Sucy said, earning a glare from Akko.

“Man, I didn’t realise you were so… magically mediocre, Kagari!” A new voice joined in, causing all three girls to look up to see who it belonged to.

Amanda O’Neil stood smirking, accompanied by Jasminka and Constanze, who waved pleasantly at Akko. The two had known each other since a little before the semester, and had become fairly fast friends. The taller, orange-haired girl was studying physical ed, so they didn’t really get much of a chance to see each other on campus. Sometimes, when Akko was sitting in her lectures, she would spot Amanda and the rest of her class out on the track, and they’d get in trouble for making rude hand gestures at each other.  
Akko would’ve been surprised to see her if she hadn’t invited her, but it was still good to see a friendly face. Even if that face had just come to ridicule her more than she could probably handle after such an iffy performance. The brunette rolled her eyes, inviting them to sit, “Well yeah, that’s me. I should start using that as my tagline.”

“Aw c’mon, I’m just messing with ya, it didn’t go that bad. I just don’t think this place is really the, uh, ideal magic scene, y’know?”

Red eyes fell downwards, and Akko couldn’t help but feel a little dejected. As much as she wanted to take that as being a positive thing, she just couldn’t. She wanted to take happiness and magic wherever she went, and still after years, she couldn't help but feel like she was failing. Not that it worried her, she knew she still had a long way to go, and she was super out of practice.  
Akko sighed. She knew she’d find her ‘scene’ eventually, she just wasn’t sure where yet. At least she knew that maybe a pub full of people she was familiar with was a no go. Work was still an option to at least practice, but her manager had never been very fond of her bothering customers. Magic made her truly happy, and she just wanted to make other people happy too.  
The silence prompted Amanda to speak up again, pointing not so subtly at the booth across the room from them,

“I think I saw that girl over there crack a smile, so that’s something positive, right?”

Akko looked over to where Amanda was still pointing, and her eyes fell on a familiar blonde sat between her classmate, Hannah England and a darker haired girl she recognised to be Barbara. The brunette had almost been convinced that she didn’t exist outside of the café, but seeing her sat there without a book or a laptop and laughing with her friends made her seem much more real. The stunned silence was met with Amanda looking back at Akko, raising an eyebrow. In fact, the whole booth now had their eyes on her, all seemingly as confused as each other.  
She snapped out of whatever her weird trance was, and met Amamda’s gaze.

“Wait, do you know her?”

“Uh, yeah, dumbie. That’s Diana Cavendish. Her family practically owns the university. Didn’t you know that?”

Akko looked back at the girl, “You think she liked my magic?”

Amanda narrowed her eyes, shrugging, “I have no idea. She just kinda smiled when she saw you on stage. I was trying to make you feel better, man. I can’t read minds!”

Blue eyes suddenly met crimson, and Akko smiled awkwardly across the room and waved a little. The girl she now knew to be Diana nodded, but went back to the conversation she was having. Amanda raised an eyebrow again, leaning on the table.

“Are you friends or something?”

The brunette paused for a minute, looking a little confused, “Um, not really. I just make her tea sometimes.”

Constanze seemed to nod in agreement, and Akko felt herself calming down a little. Then she took a second to think. Why didn’t she feel calm looking at the blonde?   
It was probably because they’d already established some form of relationship based solely on Akko making her tea, and had nothing to do with magic. The brunette looked down at her drink again, swirling it a little as she thought about how, maybe if she made a little more effort to not be as awkward around the blonde, she might stand a chance at actually becoming friends with her.  
Maybe just tea wasn’t enough to achieve that. Maybe, just maybe, she could throw some magic tricks in there too.

“Oh, that’s good then I guess.” Amanda suddenly piped up again.

Akko stopped her train of thought, tilting her head at her friend, “What d’you mean?”

The taller girl smirked, rolling her eyes, “Eh, she’s just got a bit of a reputation for being a bitch, is all. The other two do as well. Your classic snobby rich kids, that’s them.”

The brunette was in shock, she hadn’t gotten that impression at all, “Oh, really? I mean, she can be a little short in the café but most customers are like that.”

Amanda pouted, “Maybe you’re just numb to how rude she is then?

Akko could feel the cogs whirling in her brain as she tried to decide whether what Amanda was saying had any semblance of truth. Diana hadn’t said anything rude, her tone was just harsh sometimes, and the brunette was almost certain that she didn’t mean to come across that way. Then again, Amanda had always been a much better judge of character than she had ever been, so the more she thought about it, the more confused she got. Maybe tea wasn’t a good base for friendship, and maybe all she would ever be was just another employee at Luna Nova.  
That’s when she heard three sets of footsteps coming towards their table, and looked up to meet those increasingly familiar blue eyes. There was a pause, and Hannah and Barbara looked like they were trying to hold back laughter. Diana had a smirk on her face, something that Akko wasn’t used to in the slightest.

“Maybe you should show me some of your magic tricks when I stop by next, Atsuko.”

With the snickers of her friends accompanying her, the blonde turned to leave, and Akko watched every step. The brunette found herself frowning a little, and her friends didn’t seem to know how to respond to this either. She stood up at the last second, shouting after the blonde and forgetting that she was still practically in full witch attire.

“Have a magical day!” 

Amongst the laughter and the clear confusion within her friendship group, she thought she caught a glimpse of the blonde smiling, and that just made everything clearer to her. The night may have started out badly, but this ending was all Akko needed to perk up. The gig almost didn’t matter anymore (although she’d still consider asking the pub manager if he’d like her to perform again).  
Diana Cavendish, her name no longer a mystery, would be Akko’s friend. Even if it took tea and tricks to accomplish that. Especially if that’s what it took.


End file.
